2015/12/31 by J. S. Díaz, J. S. Diaz, F. R. Klinkhamer
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysics #Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena #COSMIC cancer database #Cosmic neutrino background #Measurements of neutrino speed #Neutrino #Neutrino Physics Research #Neutrino astronomy #Neutrino detector #Neutrino oscillation #Nuclear physics #Particle physics #Particle physics theoretical and experimental studies #Physics #Solar neutrino #Solar neutrino problem #hep-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevd.93.053004
published as Phys. Rev. D 93, 053004 (2016) · 12 pages, v3: published version
openalex publication_date 2016/03/04 · arxiv created 2016/03/07 · arxiv updated 2016/03/09 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We have determined the dispersion relation of a neutrino test particle propagating in the cosmic neutrino background. Describing the relic neutrinos and antineutrinos from the hot big bang as a dense medium, a matter potential or refractive index is obtained. The vacuum neutrino mixing angles are unchanged, but the energy of each mass state is modified. Using a matrix in the space of neutrino species, the induced potential is decomposed into a part which produces signatures in beta-decay experiments and another part which modifies neutrino oscillations. The low temperature of the relic neutrinos makes a direct detection extremely challenging. From a different point of view, the identified refractive effects of the cosmic neutrino background constitute an ultralow background for future experimental studies of nonvanishing Lorentz violation in the neutrino sector.